Twenty years ago, Newcastle United went to the San Siro and came away with a draw. Two decades later and, in their first Champions League away match since, Eddie Howe’s side just about managed to hang on in order to repeat the feat. A goalless draw against AC Milan lacked the scoreline of that previous 2-2 against Inter in 2003, but given the dominance of the Italian side and the sheer amount of chances the hosts wasted, this will go down as a valuable point on Newcastle’s long-awaited return to Europe’s top table.
Whether it is enough in a group that also contains Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund feels like a separate issue, and whether, in time, the Premier League side may regret not doing more to try and take three, but even asking that question is a sign of how much has changed in 20 years. This is not a great Milan team and Newcastle’s wealth is now far greater than the seven-time European champions. Although Champions League semi-finalists last season, Milan finished fifth in Serie A in the same year and on Saturday were thrashed 5-1 by Inter in the derby.
